Chapter Fourteen
Shard blinked open his eyes drearily, stretching. His pelt was hardened with the thick frost that had slinked in during the night, causing his fur to stick out sharply at odd angles. He glanced around the makeshift den, thin roots dangled like claws outstretched from above, but Snowwhisker was absent.
He dismissed this with the flick of an ear. She was always in the same place, always by the trickling riverbed, a smile planted on her face, ready to greet him. His whiskers twitched in anticipation. He couldn't wait to see her again. He had never felt this strongly about any cat before.
He padded forward, a little trot in his step. He felt a tickling sensation every time he thought about her. He smiled to himself. Today would be the day. Today he would express his true feelings to her.
His black pelt shimmered like a fish's scales in the pre-dawn darkness. The silhouette of ashen trees whispered unheard words of despair, their long, eerie limbs swaying and their few leaves dancing to a song of death. Stars dangled above him, twinkling mischievously before they would disappear as the new day dawned.
Something moved out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, looking all around, scanning the blackened forest for signs of life. Nothing. After one last glance he continued padding forward, less sure than before. A foreboding feeling dug its way into the pit of his stomach, clawing at him violently. Something wasn't right, he could feel a sudden change in the atmosphere. A sickening screech rose into the air. Its notes were high and desperate, fading into silence. He immediately changed his pace to a staggering sprint.
The wind flowed through the trees, sympathy ebbing in its wake. Terrible thoughts began to creep into his mind, taking hold and refusing to let go. But one question controlled all of his motives: was Snowwhisker alright?
He ran through the forest at full pelt, his lungs extending to their limit, his eyes streaked with tears from the effort. When he finally broke through the tangle of undergrowth, his eyes desperately scraped the landscape around him. Terror and dread crawled into his being as he groped for some sign of Snowwhisker. Then Shard froze.
His pelt prickled uncomfortably at the thick, repulsive scent of death. It wrapped itself around him, skimming his pelt and stinging his nostrils. He turned in the direction of the sickening stench. Blood stained the clear water, tainting its beauty and masking it to be some terrible trap as it flowed eerily down its path. Whatever or whoever had died was close.
He followed the red flow, pushing back the reeds as unintentional spasms of fear racked his body. Death was heavy in the air. It burdened him with more than he could handle. He pushed back a tangle of green stalks, to find the victim sprawled out on a small bank. He let out a desperate cry and stood, rigid, at the sight. Snowwhisker.
Her sweet body was lying on the ground, her glossy white fur plastered to her body by hot, sticky blood. It flowed from her freshly. Her eyes, with their once magnificent color were drained and glazed over, lifeless and giving her the appearance of some unintelligent prey that had just been robbed of its life. Her rotting body looked weak and terrified. She was frozen forever in fear, reminding Shard of when he first met her.
This sight would haunt Shard forever. It sunk its grip deep into his heart, ripping at it till only shreds of something that had once been good remained. Shard died inside of himself. "I-I love you..." He whispered, despair draining the color of his words. "I always will."
Hey there, readers! I'm so, so, so sorry it's been taking me so long to update! I've been super busy with school and stuff...ugh. Anyways, I will try as hard as I can to update more frequently.
Thanks for reading!